6 Day Lapland Winter Road Trip Itinerary • Finland

So you’ve decided you’re visiting Lapland, Finland to frolic in the truest winter wonderland there is? Well I’ve gotta say, you’ve got excellent taste! Now that an incredible Lapland, Finland trip decision has been made, it’s time to plan how to visit. There are so many things to do in Finnish Lapland in winter and you’re going to have a ball no matter what you add to your Lapland itinerary. So, let’s get to planning your 6 day Lapland winter road trip itinerary so you’re all set for your Lapland trip!

The Short Version of My 6 Day Lapland Road Trip Itinerary

I’m going to being this Lapland winter road trip itinerary assuming you’ve got your rental car already, which I do highly recommend getting one if you’re comfortable driving in snow. So upon arrival at the airport, we picked up our rental car and were ready to start on what to do in Lapland for 6 days:

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How to Get to Lapland, Finland

First thing’s first is you have to get to Lapland, Finland. I’m assuming you’ve flown into Helsinki already to start this 6 day winter Lapland itinerary since when I was booking, booking to Helsinki as my international flight then booking my Finland flights separately was MUCH cheaper.

However this 6 day Lapland winter road trip itinerary starts in one city and ends in another, so you can’t buy a direct round trip to one location. So, this is what you’re going to do to book your flight to Lapland for this specific road trip itinerary:

How to Get Around in Lapland

This is a Lapland, Finland winter road trip itinerary after all, so I’m going to assume someone in your travel party will be driving. I do recommend your driver(s) have some experience driving in snowy conditions and to get an SUV even though the roads really weren’t all that bad when I was there (I do have lots of winter driving experience though). Just drive safely and slowly, because there are wild reindeer who you’ll share the road with too (no, really ha).

For this road trip itinerary, make sure to book your rental car to pick up at the Rovaniemi Airport and drop off at the Ivalo Airport.

Winter Lapland Road Trip Map

Want to see these Lapland winter road trip stops plotted out on a map because you’re a visual person? Same here. So check out all the activities we did (as well as restaurants we ate at) that I’d recommend for your winter road tripitinerary through Lapland Finland here:

Need to know what to pack for your winter trip to Lapland? Check out my Lapland Winter Packing Guide!

The Long Version of My Lapland, Finland Winter Road Trip Itinerary

The main thing to keep in mind while road tripping Lapland, Finland during winter is that the daylight hours are SUPER short depending on what month you go. So this road trip itinerary contains activities that you’ll do outside in those couple of hours each day, and prioritizing those, plus some evening activities too.

And FOR REFERENCE, this 6 day Lapland travel guide will have a few things I didn’t actually get the chance to do but really wish I had. Normally my itineraries are only things I did, but this time I wanted to share more activities I would put on my Lapland winter itinerary if I were to go back.

Day 1 • Explore Santa Claus Village

Drive Route: around Rovaniemi and to your lodging

Once you land in Rovaniemi, depending on what time you get there, you may have some time to kill before you can check into your accommodations. And lucky for you Santa’s Village is ~5 minutes away from the airport and the ABSOLUTE PERFECT way to start your 6 day Lapland winter road trip and also kill some time.

Santa Village

Their motto is “experience Christmas every day of the year” and they are absolutely correct. If you are a Christmas lover – or even appreciater – you’ll have an absolute ball at Santa Village. It’s free to visit and there is SO much to do including:

• Meet Santa and Mrs. Claus
• Send a Christmas card from Santa’s Post Office
• Go shopping
• Eat and drink everything (definitely try some glögi, it’s a delicious warm beverage that reminds me of mulled wine but doens’t need to be alcoholic)
• Cross into the Arctic Circle and visit Roosevelt Cottage (which was the first building in the Arctic Circle)
• Husky safari and reindeer sleigh rides

I actually recommend you spend some time here during both daylight hours and when it’s dark out to appreciate the lights and magic of it all.

We aren’t trying to cram too much into day 1 of our 6 day Lapland itinerary because it’s very possible we’ll have jetlag, so calling it a day after Santa’s Village and getting some rest!

Where to Stay in Rovaniemi

I stayed at the INCREDIBLE Invisible Forest Lodge, which was SO cool and was probably my overall favorite hotel we stayed at during our 6 days in Lapland. All the lodges were these sleek cabins and the outside was mirrors, so they looked like they were hidden in the forest. I loved this hotel, but if you need something a little bigger or different, there are lots of options.

 

Day 2 • Explore Rovaniemi & Northern Lights Tracking on Snowmobile

Drive Route: no long drives today since you’re staying in town

Explore Rovaniemi

We’re starting day 2 slowly because who knows how much or little sleep we got, so we’re having a chill afternoon exploring town. Rovaniemi is the capital of Lapland and is such a cute city with a lot to do, and here are some top options:

• Visit the Arktikum Science Center and Museum for immersive exhibits focused on the Arctic
• SantaPark for if you didn’t get enough Santa magic in on day 1
• Visit the northern wildlife at Ranua Arctic Wildlife Park
  • Note: the animals here are foster or were born in zoos/shelters, and are given a second chance at life at this park
  • Finland has strict animal rights rules and regulations based on their Animal Welfare Act, so you can be sure animal wellbeing is a very key part of any and all animal activities added to your Lapland itinerary

Evening Northern Lights Hunt via Snowmobile

This isn’t something we were able to do but something I wish I did SO BADLY! This literally looks like such a blast and there are a few tour companies who offer it, so explore what cost and dates work for you and definitely add this to your 6 day Lapland itinerary:

Day 3 • Reindeer Farm & Arcandia Fantasy Park

Drive Route: ~2 hours from Rovaniemi > Levi

Reindeer Farm & Sleigh Ride

Visiting a reindeer farm for a sleigh ride and some (possible) reindeer pets is an absolute must-add to any 6 day Lapland, Finland road trip itinerary! We went to Janita’s Rendeer Farm in Levi, Lapland and this was such a fun time! If you book this exact tour, note it will be booked via Eanan Levi, but that is correct. We chose Janita’s because it was female and indigenous-owned and we loved her story.

Our tour started by feeding the reindeer; we were given snacks and they would walk up to us and eat them if they wanted, but there was no forcing them. Then after that we switched to our sleigh ride through the gorgeous snowy forest. We were also the last group of the day so we got to help our guide (and owner) Janita remove all their gear and give them extra dinner.

After this, we got a snack and drink and Janita told us all about her reindeer farm and the reindeer there. You could feel the love (they aren’t sold commercially after coming to her farm) and I’m so glad we went with her reindeer farm for our experience.

However, if you can’t make Janita’s Reindeer Farm work in your Lapland itinerary, there are other reindeer farms you can try:

Explore Arcandia Theme Park

Arcandia Theme Park is a whole different world at night and such a fun evening adventure to add to your Lapland, Finland winter itinerary. It’s basically a fantasy world combined with winter wonderland, and is such a fun evening! The park is broken up between the Action Park where you can play games like laser tag and the Park Side which has shows, events, restaurants, shopping, and more.

While we were there we did one of the unique outdoor hibachi dinner offerings which was super fun! It was Korean BBQ style but with Lappish foods in this super cool building.

There are plenty of other activities at Arcandia, and you’re sure to have a good time, because if NOTHING ELSE, this park is gorgeous and a fun add to your 6 day Lapland winter road trip itinerary.

Where to Stay in Levi

You’ll want to stay in Levi so you don’t have to do any further driving, and there are lots of lodging options here!

 

Day 4 • Road Tripping + Lake Inari Activities

Drive Route: ~3 hours from Levi > Ivalo

You can make a whole day of driving the gorgeous drive from Levi to Ivalo (because it is really stunning) but you could also leave Levi earlier in the day and make it to Ivalo for activities! Whatever feels right for your particular 6 day Lapland winter travel guide is what you should choose here, but let’s go with some of these options:

If you arrive to Ivalo early in the afternoon, do one of these activities:

If you arrive to Ivalo and only have your night available, do this activity:

Where to Stay in Ivalo

We stayed in 2 really cool hotels in Ivalo, Finland and I would HIGHLY recommend both of them:

Day 5 • Husky Safari

Drive Route: 10 – 20 minutes, depending on where you’re staying

Husky Visit and Safari

This was my entire group’s favorite thing on our entire 6 day Lapland winter road trip itinerary! We did the 4-hour lunch safari with Extreme Huskies, but there are lots of other options (timeframes, activities, etc.) you can book with them.

You are going to be steering and controlling the dogs yourself here, so you start with a safety and demonstration briefing. From there, you’re off to the races! Literally, because the dogs want to AND WILL run as fast as they can! You will ride in your sleigh with your partner (switching halfway through) before you get to a hut where you learn about the history of sled dogs in Lapland and enjoy some lunch. Then you’ll head back down to the kennels.

You think it’s over, but there you meet the husky puppies and they are SO sweet! And once again, thanks to Finland’s very strong animal welfare laws and the general love of the huskies, these babies are treated so well.

If Extreme Huskies’ tour doesn’t work for your schedule, here are some other husky safari options in Ivalo:

Day 6 • Return to Helsinki

Drive Route: your lodging > airport

Unfortunately every 6 day Lapland winter road trip must come to an end, and you must depart. So get your stuff in order, drop your rental car off at the airport, and bask in the glorious memories you made this trip.

As always, if you have any questions, please reach out with questions or comments regarding this Lapland travel guide. I hope you have the most incredible wintery trip!

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